AUTHOR=Kruger Sylvia , Deacon Elmari , van Rensburg Esmé , Segal David 

TITLE=Adjustment experiences of adolescents living with well-controlled type 1 diabetes using closed-loop technology

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare

VOLUME=Volume 5 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/clinical-diabetes-and-healthcare/articles/10.3389/fcdhc.2024.1445972

DOI=10.3389/fcdhc.2024.1445972

ISSN=2673-6616

ABSTRACT=AimThis study aimed to obtain an in-depth understanding of the experiences of adolescents with well-controlled type 1 diabetes who were adjusting to closed-loop technology.MethodInterpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted. Five participants (aged 15–18) were recruited from the Centre for Diabetes and Endocrinology in Parktown, South Africa, to participate in semi-structured interviews about their experiences of adjusting to closed-loop technology.ResultsFive superordinate themes emerged (1): learning to trust the technology (2), making diabetes visible (3), building a relationship with diabetes (4), empowering support networks, and (5) transformative positive outcomes. The findings demonstrate that closed-loop technology positively impacts the adjustment to living with type 1 diabetes. However, as highlighted by all participants, the individual’s engagement and management are crucial. Based on the adolescents’ experiences, interventions should focus on psychological factors.